Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Patricia Senk

Abstract

Mental health conditions affect various aspects of an individual’s quality of life (QOL). Patients with anxiety and depression have a greater risk of having a negative perception of QOL. The gap in practice was the lack of an assessment tool to measure QOL in patients with mental health disorders. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) recommending the best evidence-based measurement tool for QOL in patients with anxiety and/or depression. The question that guided the CPG was: How should QOL be measured in patients with anxiety and/or depression in the outpatient setting? The CPG could help clinicians ask precise questions regarding the impact of anxiety and/or depression on patients’ QOL and adjust the treatment plan to improve patient outcomes. The literature used to support the CPG was graded, synthesized into recommendations, and evaluated by an expert panel using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was recommended in the CPG as a reliable measurement tool to evaluate QOL in patients with anxiety and/or depression. Peplau's interpersonal relations theory was applied to emphasize the proper way for clinicians to interact with patients when administering the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. The anticipated outcome of adoption of the CPG is the efficient use of resources to improve patients’ QOL. The CPG is intended to assist clinicians to evaluate and understand QOL perceptions to achieve the social change of enhancing patient outcomes by improving treatment plans.

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